The Education (Student Support) (Wales) Regulations 2015

Conversion of status – eligible students transferring to designated distance learning courses

81.—(1) Where an eligible student ceases to undertake a designated course and transfers to a designated distance learning course at the same or at another institution, the Welsh Ministers must convert the student’s status as an eligible student to that of an eligible distance learning student in connection with the course to which the eligible student is transferring where—

(a) they receive a request from the eligible student to do so; and

(b) the period of eligibility has not terminated.

(2) The following applies to an eligible student who transfers under paragraph (1)—

(a) where the Welsh Ministers have determined to pay an amount of grant for disabled students’ living costs to that student under Part 5 in periodic instalments, no payment in respect of that amount of grant must be made in respect of any instalment period beginning after the date on which that student becomes an eligible distance learning student;

(b) the maximum amount of grant for disabled distance learning students’ living costs to which that student would, apart from this regulation, be entitled in connection with that student undertaking a designated distance learning course in respect of that academic year is reduced by one third where that student became an eligible distance learning student in the second quarter of the academic year and by two thirds where that student became an eligible distance learning student in a later quarter of that year;

(c) where an amount of grant for disabled students’ living costs for any purpose has been paid to the student under Part 5 in a single instalment, the maximum amount of grant for disabled distance learning students’ living costs payable to that student for that purpose is reduced (or where sub-paragraph (b) applies, further reduced) by the amount of grant paid to that student for that purpose pursuant to Part 5, and where the resulting amount is nil or a negative amount that amount is nil; and

(d) where immediately before that student became an eligible distance learning student that student was eligible to apply, but had not applied for a loan for living costs in respect of that year, or had not applied for the maximum amount or increased maximum to which that student was entitled, that student may apply for such a loan or such additional amount as if that student had continued to be an eligible student and in the circumstances mentioned in paragraph (3) the maximum amount or increased maximum amount of such loan for the academic year is reduced in accordance with that paragraph.

(3) Where the request under paragraph (1) is made during the first quarter of the academic year in respect of which the loan for living costs is payable the maximum amount or increased maximum amount of loan (as the case may be) is reduced by two thirds and where the request is made during the second quarter of that year that amount is reduced by one third.